Roof rack for cars



May 12, 1W0 E. JOOS 3,5 2,0

ROOF RACK FOR CARS Filed March 18. 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 zzvmvroze. E RiG Joos BY gm. My.

May 12, 1970 E. JOOS 3,

ROOF RACK FOR CARS Filed March 18, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Ema d o I BYWWx United States Patent 3,512,082 ROOF RACK FOR CARS Eric Joos, Malung, Sweden, assignor to Aktiebolaget Eric Joos, Malung, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed Mar. 18, 1968, Ser. No. 713,618 Claims priority, application Sweden, Mar. 21, 1967, 3,928/ 67 Int. Cl. B601 9/04 US. Cl. 224-421 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A car roof rack comprising a frame having two parallel rigid side pieces and a number of mutually parallel rigid cross bars which are pivotally connected to the difficult to perform by a person not used to the specific roof rack.

The present invention relates to roof racks for cars and is of the kind comprising a frame having two parallel side pieces and a number of mutually parallel cross bars connected with the side pieces. The rack is normally provided with means for securing it to the water rims of a car.

The cross bars may for instance consist of metal pipes, profiled steel rods or wood. The side pieces may consist of straight pipes or of side members in the form of an upper and a lower pipe connected with each other at their ends.

In such roof racks the cross bars are ordinarily rigidly secured to the side pieces to form a rigid frame. The disadvantage of such roof racks is that they are cumbersome to carry in stairways to any storing compartment such as a cellar room where such racks are usually stored when not used. Such roof racks will also require a relatively great space when storing. This is also a considerable disadvantage because it will be practically impossible to store such racks for instance in a wardrobe if this would be desired, since such a place is ordinarily much safer than a cellar and the rack will be more readily accessible at such a place.

However, in order to reduce the size of the roof rack upon storing, it is hitherto known to provide racks having disconnectible parts, which may form a relatively small package of separated parts. The disadvantage of such racks is that they require a relatively great number of mounting and demounting operations which may be side pieces to provide a collapsible rack.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide a roof rack which after its taking down from the car roof may be collapsed directly without any demounting work and which in its collapsed condition may readily be carried to and from the storing place where the roof rack in its collapsed condition requires a relatively small storing space.

This object is attained by means of a roof rack which according to the invention comprises a frame formed by two side pieces and a number of cross bars which are pivotally connetced to the side pieces so as to enable a parallel movement of the side pieces in mutually opposite directions upon a simultaneous swinging of the cross bars relative to the side pieces. In its sim lest form the roof rack according to the invention consists of two side pieecs in the form of two parallel straight bars or pipes, the cross bars being positioned parallel to each other and are by means of bolts or similar journal members pivotally connected to the side pieces.

The collapsible frame according to the invention is preferably provided with four supporting feet directed downwardly and provided with coupling members to be 3,512,082 Patented May 12, 1970 secured to the water rims of a car. In its erected condition and secured to the Water rims of the car in the manner described above, the roof rack will be locked in its erected condition by means of its connections with the water rims. As soon as the roof rack has been lifted down from the roof it may be collapsed directly by performing parallel displacement of the side pieces in relation to each other which will then automatically swing the cross bars to a position Where the cross bars will lie relatively close to each other. As a matter of fact, the collapsed roof rack is not much greater than a pair of skis and may therefore easily be carried to any storing place, such as a wardrobe, if desired, where the collapsed rack will require a small storing place. When the roof rack is to be used, it is also easily carried to the car and is erected in the simple manner described above.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings together with certain modifications of the coupling means for securing the rack to the water rims of a car.

FIG. 1 is a side view of the erected roof rack according to the invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the rack in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 shows the roof rack in a partly collapsed position between the completely erected position and completely collapsed position. FIG. 4 shows the roof rack in its completely collapsed condition. FIG. 5 is a section according to line 55 in FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale. 'FIG. 6 is a section according to line 66 in FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale. FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic perspective view of one corner portion of the erected rack secured to the water rim of a car. FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic perspective view of one corner portion of the rack having another embodiment of a coupling means to be secured to the water rim than in FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic perspective view of another coupling member for securing the rack to the water rim of a car.

The roof rack according to FIGS. 1 to 7 has two side pieces 1 and 2, respectively, which each consists of an upper pipe 3 and a lower pipe 4. Each pair of upper and lower pipes are connected with each other by means of U-shaped end pieces 5 of pipes having their ends inserted into the ends of the pipes 3 and 4. The lower pipes 4, 4 of the two side pieces are connected with each other by means of four cross. pipes 6, 7, 8, 9 and the upper pipes 3, 3 of the side pieces are connected with each other by means of two upper cross pipes 10, 11 located at the ends of the upper pipes 3.

As a matter of interest, in order to simplify the production of the rack, all cross pipes 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and the two upper pipes 3, 3 of the side pieces have been cut to the same length to facilitate mass production of the rack.

All cross pipes are pivotally connected with the side pieces by means of pivot pins or bolts which permit the cross pipes to be easily pivoted relative to the side pieces so that the roof rack may be collapsed upon a parallelogram-like movement from the erected position in FIG. 2 to the completely collapsed condition according to FIG. 4.

The total length of the collapsed rack according to FIG. 4 is about equal to the length of the side pieces plus the length of the cross pipes. Collapsing the rack may be performed directly when the rack has been lifted down from the car roof. In its collapsed condition the rack requires the smallest possible storing place as will be understood from FIG. 4.

All pipes except for the U-pipes 5 are coated with a hard plastic layer 14 as indicated in FIGS. 5 and 6.

All ends of the pipes except for the U-pipes 5 and the cross pipes 6 and '9' have a plastic sleeve 15 so that these sleeves form bearing surfaces to reduce the friction at the pivot points to facilitate pivoting of the cross pipes relative to the side pieces.

The ends of the cross pipes 6 and 9 are inserted into metal bushings 16 as shown for pipe 9 in FIG 6. The bushing 16 has secured thereto the upper end of a pivot bolt 17 extending through the pipe 4 and the lower leg a of the U-pipe 5 inserted into the pipe 4 so that the pipe 5 is locked by the pivot bolt 17. The lower end of the bolt has a washer 18 and a nut 19. Between the bushing 16 and the plastic sleeve 15 is a friction reducing washer 20.

[Insertedq in each end of the pipes 6 and 9 is a pipe 21 which may be locked by a locking screw 22 screwed through the bushing 16 and aligned hole 23 in the pipes 9 and 6, respectively, as shown in FIG. 6.

The outer portion 24 of the pipe 21 is bent downwardly to form a leg having a number of holes 25 for receiving a screw 26 to secure a T-shaped foot 27 adapted to rest in the water rim 28 of the car roof as shown in FIG. 7. The foot 27 may be locked in the rim 2-8 by means of a screw 29 and a clamping plate 30.

As indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 7, the leg 21, 24 may be adjusted to any desired width between the water rims.

As to the pivot joints between the cross pipes 7, 8, 10, 11 and the pipes 3, 4 they are made as shown in FIG. 5 for the pipes and 3 by means of a through-going pivot bolt 31 having stopping heads at both ends. A friction reducing washer 32 is placed between the plastic sleeves at the ends of the pipes 10 and 3. In the same way as for the lower leg 5a of the U-pipe 5, the upper leg 5b is locked in the lower pipe 3 by means of the pivot aolt 31 as shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 illustrates one of two cross bars 33 extending across a car roof and secured by clamp members 34 to the water rims. The cross bars are of the common type 158d for carrying skis. The side pieces 1 and 2 rest on :he cross bars 33 and are secured thereto by means of bolts 35 forming pivot bolts for the cross pipe 9' and the lower pipe of the side piece, the lower end of the bolt iaving a hook 36 for engaging the cross-bar 33.

FIG. 9 illustrates a supporting leg 37 with coupling nember 38 to be secured to a water rim. The leg is pivotal an a pin 39 in a holder 40 secured to the side piece 1 1nd may be swung to a position substantially parallel to he side piece when not in use.

What I claim is:

1. A car roof rack comprising a frame having two )arallel rigid side pieces and a plurality of mutually paralel rigid cross bars pivotally fixed at the ends of each of aid cross bars to said side pieces to form a collapsible 'ack, each of said side pieces and said cross bars being a npe;

each of said side pieces comprising an upper and a lower pipe connected at each of their respective ends by a U-shaped pipe secured to said upper and said lower pipe; and

said two upper pipes being connected at the ends thereof by two of said mutually parallel rigid cross bars in the form of transverse pipes, said transverse pipes and said upper pipes being pivotally connected by pivot bolts, each of said pivot bolts extending through a transverse pipe and said upper pipe with which said transverse pipe is pivotally connected, each of said pivot bolts also extending through the end of a U- shaped pipe connected to said upper pipe thereby forming a rigid side piece utilizing said pivot bolts to pivotally connect said transverse pipes with said upper pipes and at the same time to connect said upper and lower pipes through said U-sh-aped pipes.

2. A rack as defined in claim 1, in which the cross pipes and the upper pipes of the side pieces are of the same liameter and are cut to the same length.

3. A rack as defined in claim 1, in which the cross pipes and the upper and the lower pipes of the side pieces are metal pipes coated with plastic.

4. A rack as defined in claim 1, in which the U-pipes are of uncoated non-corrosive metal pipes.

5. A rack as defined in'claim 1, in which the rack is provided with means for securing the rack to two cross bars provided to extend across the car roof and to be secured to the water rims of a car roof.

6. A car roof rack comprising a frame having two parallel rigid side pieces and a plurality of mutually parallel rigid cross bars pivotally fixed at the ends of each of said cross bars to said side pieces to form a collapsible rack, each of said side pieces and said cross bars being a pipe;

each of said side pieces comprising an upper and a lower pipe connected at each of their respective ends by a U-shaped pipe secured to said upper and said lower pipe; said two upper pipes being connected at the ends thereof by two of said mutually parallel rigid cross bars in the form of transverse pipes, said transverse pipes and said upper pipes being pivotally connected by pivot bolts, each of said pivot bolts extending through a transverse pipe and said upper pipe with which said transverse pipe is pivotally connected, each of said pivot bolts also extending through the end of a U- shaped pipe connected to said upper pipe thereby forming a rigid side piece utilizing said pivot bolts to pivotally connect said transverse pipes with said upper pipes and at the same time to connect said upper and lower pipes through said U-shaped pipes;

said two lower pipes of said respective side pieces being pivotally connected by at least two of said mutually parallel rigid cross bars in the form of lower transverse pipes, each of said lower transverse pipes being connected to the respective side piece by a pivot bolt;

each of the two lower transverse pipes located at the back and front of said rack respectively having their ends inserted into sleeves, each of said sleeves being secured to one end of a pivot bolt extending through said lower side pipe;

each sleeve being connected to a supporting leg which is inserted into the end of said lower transverse pipe by a locking screw which extends through said sleeve and said lower transverse pipe into said supporting leg, and

said supporting leg being provided with means to be secured to the water rim of a car roof.

7. A rack as defined in claim 6 in which the cross pipes and the upper pipes of the side pieces are of the same diameter and are cut to the same length.

8. A rack as defined in claim 6 in which the cross pipes and the upper and the lower pipes of the side pieces are metal pipes coated with plastic.

9. A rack as defined in claim 6 in which the U-pipes are of uncoated non-corrosive metal pipes.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,596,860 5/ 1952 McCrory et al 224-42.1 2,765,111 10/1956 Vaughn 224-45 3,338,486 8/ 1967 Gaylor 224-49 FOREIGN PATENTS 97,072 10/1963 Denmark. 1,065,923 5/1954 France. 1,091,531 10/1954 France. 1,211,826 10/1959 France.

878,895 10/ 1961 Great Britain.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner F. E. WERNER. Assistant Examiner 

